My Tip is SUPER Swollen Now That I Have Stopped Tapping Nose During the Day, Should I Keep It Up? (photo)

Question

I had Rhinoplasty, tip refinement and septoplasty on December 22, 2011. The cast was taken off a week later and at that time my doctor told me to begin taping my nose during the day and at night for a week. After a week of taping at night and during the day my doctor told me to tape only at night. I loved the way my nose was shaped aftger the cast/splint was taken off. Now, however, after a week of taping only at night, my nose looks very swollen and the tip is huge. Should I daytape now?

Richard H. Fryer, MD · Answer

Swelling after rhinoplasty lasts for several weeks and resolves on it's own. I discontinue taping after the first week all together. The final results of your tip refinement surgery will not be completely evident until a year after surgery.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I do not usually recommend nasal taping after I remove the nasal splint. The swelling will take several months to go down, but there are changes up to a year after rhinoplasty.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

It is normal to have temporary residual swelling 3 weeks after rhinoplasty surgery, especially in patients with thick skin. I personally don't feel that taping 3 weeks post-op is beneficial. Having said that i strongly recommend you follow your own surgeon's instructions. Every surgeon has their own routine and only he knows exactly what was done during your operation.

Oleh Slupchynskyj, MD, FACS (retired) · Answer

Hi,

The picture is a little difficult to discern but if you still have tip fullness at 3 weeks it will probably not go down that much more... You can have your surgeon try Kenelog injections but that may not work. If it's still present at 3 months post-op it probably won't change much and would require a revision if you wanted to correct it.

Best,

Dr.S.

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

Personally I do not have my patients tape post surgery. The swelling you see would probably be present taping or no taping and is part of the healing process. Each surgeon has their own techniques and post surgical instructions and you should follow your surgeons directions. Sleep elevated, keep a low sodium diet, watch your heat exposure and exercise, drink lots of fluids and these will help in swelling reduction. Also time, which is the best healer of all. Swelling in the nose slowly dissipates over many many months. The majority of the swelling will dissipate during the first three to four months and the residual swelling will take an entire year to fully go away. Best regards!

My Tip is SUPER Swollen Now That I Have Stopped Tapping Nose During the Day, Should I Keep It Up? (photo)

Answers (5)